TLDR Disulfide bonds make keratin in hair stronger and tougher.
The study developed an atomistic model of the keratin dimer using human keratin type k35 and k85 sequences, and through simulations, it was found that disulfide cross-links in a keratin tetramer increased strength by 20% and toughness by 49%, despite the loss of α-helical structures under loading. This demonstrated the significant role of disulfide bonds in the mechanical properties of trichocyte α-keratin, providing a basis for further research on hair fibrils and other fibers.
76 citations,
December 2011 in “Journal of Cell Science” Different keratin types have unique amino acid patterns that are evolutionarily conserved.
81 citations,
December 2007 in “Acta materialia” AFM helped show how hair changes under tension and the effects of damage and conditioner.
91 citations,
December 2000 in “The journal of cell biology/The Journal of cell biology” Scientists successfully created mouse hair proteins in the lab, which are stable and similar to natural hair.
38 citations,
October 2011 in “Analytical biochemistry” Hair proteins have weak spots in their α-helical segments.
140 citations,
August 2011 in “Biomaterials” Keratose, derived from human hair, is a non-toxic biomaterial good for tissue regeneration and integrates well with body tissues.
December 2023 in “The journal of physical chemistry. B (1997 : Online)” Human hair keratin might be good for filtering out harmful substances from water.
30 citations,
August 2008 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” TGase 3 helps build hair structure by forming strong bonds between proteins.
40 citations,
May 2016 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” Changes in keratin make hair follicles stiffer.
